Reckless Hearts
by AlternativeRocker
Summary: Ric Griffin and Serena Campbell meet at a conference with no idea that they are due to begin working together soon after. AU with episode tags.
1. Conference

**Note:** I always wondered what Serena and Ric would be like had they met before she joined the hospital staff... One thing led to another and here is an opening chapter. I intend to do episode tags and other chapters in this to see that some quotes could have underlying meanings. For my bonkers 'Rena' co-captain, Louise.

* * *

_I must admit it's been fun_  
_But that's no reason to jump the gun  
If this is real, time will tell  
So let me bite my tongue and remind myself  
**The Fear of Being Alone - Reba McEntire**_

* * *

Ric knew this hotel well enough, having been to many private functions and events in the halls but he could not fathom why he was there on this particular evening. He had not planned to attend the conference in the first place, yet he found himself in the second row next to an elderly gentleman who must have been a good surgeon decades before bit looked more at risk of falling asleep rather than putting someone else to sleep. On his other side was an empty chair but with the lecture due to start in two minutes Ric assumed the guest was unable to be present. The lights were almost ready to be switched off when he heard the muffled hurrying of footsteps before a woman appeared in the seat to his left.

In a low whisper she commented, "They had better have a free bar waiting for this to finish or I will question why I even bothered in that traffic."

He glanced at the dark-haired female and noticed that yes, she had been talking to him. A smirk was playing on her lips but her words had sounded sincere. He estimated she was a few years younger than himself and was wearing a shocking pink blouse and black cardigan with dress trousers. Ric simply smiled in response, not entirely convinced he should get into a conversation with a stranger who had turned up as late as possible and who he suspected may have a fondness for alcohol.

* * *

He was sure on the email invite the guest speaker was supposed to only last two hours but he was well in to his third with no hint of being close to wrapping it up. Ric stifled a yawn with the back of his hand as he noticed his male neighbour must have been one of the few who had disappeared to the toilet and not bothered to come back while she had her phone down by her side as she typed some form of message on it. He rolled his eyes at the ignorance of people before trying to tune in on the monotonous drawl coming from the centre of the floor.

"Well, that was thrilling."

"You would know after spending all the time on your mobile," He did not mean to be rude to someone he had never met before but she was unbelievable in her attitude.

"Oh come on! You cannot seriously say that man needed three and a half hours to ultimately say that his conclusions were questionable at best!"

"I suppose it may have lasted a little longer than necessary." He attempted to move toward the auditorium's exit - bypassing the speaker who was being thanked by a couple of guests who had stayed awake - although the woman had caught up with him, her small heels making a louder noise than he would have liked on the stairs.

His car was waiting for him outside to take him back to the security of his house and he honestly could not wait to drive the fifteen minutes to get there. "How about that bar, are you any the wiser as to where we would find it?"

"Sorry, I have no idea. I'm not staying."

"That's a tad boring, you have to let your hair down once in a while. Where are my manners, I'm Serena."

"Ric, and really I have a Theatre list to get through in the morning."

"That sounds as though your list is awfully long - I bet there is an easy way to streamline it."

Great, he thought, he had ended up talking to a business strategist. He was sure this had been advertised to consultant surgeons so why was she even there?

He couldn't deny she was attractive - her smile one of only a few he had seen which could truly brighten up his day had he required it. For some reason there was a sign on the way out directing them to another room for refreshments and he followed the arrow. He was in the middle of a management discussion with Serena so could not let her believe that patients she deemed "vaguely trivial" were not deserving of a longer treatment time.

Ready to pick up a glass of the complementary soft drink she arrived back next to him with a bottle of white wine she had acquired from the bar in the corner. In her other hand were two glasses and she refused to take no for an answer when giving one to him and finding a table for them to sit at.

"I move to this area in a couple of months, I need some survival tips."

Over the course of the evening he never did find out why she was moving nearby nor was he told her surname but to be honest he was not disclosing of anything more than his first name and that he was a surgeon. As the bottle emptied he realised he would have to pay for a room as there was no chance of getting home soon and he inwardly groaned at the prospect. The second bottle was on the table within minutes and he had bought it this time, knowing he was still on the right side of tipsy to last the next day; the woman opposite however had consumed the majority of the sharp liquid and it was showing in her speech pattern yet she persevered and continued a healthy debate even in that state.

Their line of conversation ended in a heated argument for most of the topics they covered yet it was enjoyable for both involved. Blaming that and the wine clouding her sanity when he leaned in to say something to her she caught his lips in a kiss. She could not recall the last time she had been so forward - maybe as long ago as the months following her finalized divorce - and she knew there was a high chance for regretting her actions. Those fears were cast aside as she felt him responding to the contact and place a hand on her cheek, distracting her from the surrounding world. A world that was changing a little quicker than she would have liked.


	2. Morning

**Note:** Sorry for the long wait but I hope you enjoy this offering before we move into episode scenes! I finished then realised I had very little dialogue but don't want to change it.

* * *

_All the things you do to me and everything you said  
I just can't get enough  
We slip and slide as we fall in love  
And I just can't seem to get enough  
**Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode**_

* * *

She would not see the man in the bed again yet she still prefered to know he would see her at her best. It was such a female thing to feel that she wondered how she had become this woman on this particular day. This sultry side was not shown often although everyone who knew her remarked on how she flirted with most aquaintances. The sunrise through the thin hotel curtains had woke her earlier than usual, especially as her dreams had been so comforting as she slept in Ric's arms. The first thought she had was to waken him but given that he had only accepted his invitation at the last minute she assumed he lived local. The fact it had been a silly hour she awoke at, she decided to get fully dressed before nudging him from his peace.

Serena stood at the mirror wearing only a set of matching underwear and an open bathrobe while she applied a touch of make-up that she found in her bag. It was the morning after the guest lecture and she had successfully managed to forget how many hours she wasted there by thinking about how many hours she had enjoyed later with Ric. Once she had exited the shower she had decided against using the complementary hairdryer so her hair was still damp to the touch after being harshly dried with the towel. As it had always been her plan to stay overnight she had luckily brought a change of clothing.

"Morning." She heard a voice and glanced over her shoulder to see Ric pushing himself up on his forearms, the duvet covering his lower half, but showing enough of his body for her feel a rush of attraction. Briefly she wrapped the soft material around her before she walked around the bed to where he was lying and leaned over to press her lips against his. The kiss deepened sooner than either had expected, their tongues brushing past the others' as she balanced herself with a hand on the pillow on the side of his head furthest from her.

Ric's hands made contact with her skin, running them along her waist and higher which caused her to moan slightly against his lips. One night together was all she intended, she had surprised herself by not running out of the room as soon as she awoke. Something about him kept her there though; to ascertain whether he was as great in the harsh light of day.

She moved on to the bed and straddled his hips, moulding her body to his, before she pulled back and smirked down at him. "Last night was lovely but I am not like that usually. You have work to go to - busy theatre slots and all." She said with a smirk, running a finger down his chest as she felt his arousal through the material. Serena had assumed he would try to change her mind and tempt her to have sex again, she had grown used to that attitude. With her ex-husband it had been a physical relationship more than anything else; not that he forced her in bed but he would make her see that she should be happy to please - and be pleasured in the process by - him.

His fingertips were drawing invisible lines on her thighs as he nodded, happy to talk to her without needing her in that way. He sat up straighter and dropped featherlight kisses to her pale chest and throat, pushing the robe off her shoulders without resistance on her part. The previous evening had been one he had not anticipated or like any he had experienced in some time. Serena was someone who he was yet to figure out, she was a tease but stopped them from going all the way again. It only heightened the thrill of the encounter though - they could have acted in any way they chose but they had not lied or invented life histories, regardless of whether the other saw the honesty or not. He did not want this to be over because it had been so long since he had met someone who had such an enchanting personality. She was strong-willed and liked control but Ric could see under everything there was vulnerability and a part which wanted to be set free.

This stranger continued to let his eyes wander across her skin and she knew that deep down she had let them become too close. A relationship was the last thing she needed on top of a new job, house and chaotic life. She, however, felt the strongest desire to stay in this bed, with this man, for a very long time to escape her real world but knew she couldn't. It was as though Serena had a mental countdown until they would have to separate and go their opposite directions. Her self was torn between the two scenarios, whilst understanding there was no choice in the matter, given their anonymity and her refusal to be tied personally to her new surroundings instead of a simple professional outlook.

She had had numerous flings and one-night stands throughout the years - it was her method of briefly being a different person - but none compared to the previous night. Serena was not one to get sentimental but the man who was currently caressing her body had reached and awoken parts of her which had gone undiscovered for so many years, if ever. The fact that he was older than the ones from the past served to confuse her more. He had admitted himself that he had been around the block a few too many times but it was not his experience or even stamina that she was impressed by; he was not boring and he was willing to let her take the lead when she decided it would be fun.

Ric pulled her face down to his level and kissed her mouth hard, trying to etch the feel of her into his brain. Her dark hair had fallen and was brushing his cheeks and sone strands had also got trapped in the unexpected kiss but neither cared. They had been a port in the storm for both involved and the alcohol had been a large contributing factor but they had a shared notion they were destined to end up here. In the twelve hours since she had sat down next to him in the hall they had found a connection with the person and were unsure why they both sensed this had to be the end of the liaison.

Pulling away when they started to get light-headed he began to speak, "I should start making my getaway if I am to quickly get clean clothing and then head to work." He broke the sentence several times to kiss various points on her skin.

Agreeing silently she climbed off his body and lay back on the bed, allowing herself the opportunity to watch as he dressed, calling out remarks to him in attempt to keep him there for extra time. He restrained himself from going near to her again during this as he could feel that he wanted to explore the mystery female for a whole day and night.

When he had finally found each of his belongings he leaned back against the wall on the opposite side of the room from the bed. His brain took a snapshot of the image of her on the white sheets in just black lace and smirked at how beautiful she was. Almost ready to turn and face the door she parted her lips,

"Thank you." The words came out as sincerely as she could possibly make them. There was a slight bow of his head before he did leave. Sinking back down and closing her eyes firmly shut, she had no idea what she was feeling. Hopefully her mind would soon be filled with patients and business plans if the contract ever returned with all her requirements signed off on. Hopefully, she would soon just recall Ric as one of the list of strangers she spent an evening with.


	3. A Woman's Work

**Note:** I am sorry for the delay in this fic, I lost interest and preferred my other two stories. Still not sure how long I will keep this going, I have other (in my mind, better) ideas.

* * *

_I want to love and never look back  
But I can't that's just a simple fact  
How come it's so easy for some  
To kiss and forget?  
**An Ocean - Deacon Blue**_

* * *

Malick had tried to put a large amount of fear into him about the new Keller consultant but he honestly thought he could handle anyone. He had to begin a rethink when he turned and saw the woman treating his patients on his ward.

As he followed Chantelle's gaze, his breath caught in his throat. Knowing he had to get closer to confirm his suspicions he left Malick and the young nurse rooted to the spot. He would have recognised that body anywhere baring in mind it had barely been a fortnight since they were in the same bed. For the past few days he had questioned whether she had been as nice to look at, or if it had been the wine, but now there was not a single doubt in his mind to argue. She was stunning.

Nobody had called her by her first name when describing the fierce new female on wards, so she had not once crossed his mind in relation to the position.

When she had been shown around, Serena had read the name of the Clinical Lead on Keller several times. The man from that evening flickered in her thoughts but she did not want to truly consider that life would be that cruel. _He_ had not left her mind since they spent time together in the mediocre hotel room - she had felt complete for the first time in years but it was a one-off event. Literally a once in a lifetime interaction; she was happy to give the stranger that title as he had been nothing less than incredible.

As she turned on her heel she was forced to live the exact nightmare she had not allowed to play out in her mind. Until that moment she had relied on him spelling his first name the conventional way, or that it was a false name which he had plucked from thin air as they flirted.

"Mr Griffin, I presume?" _Play the innocent, don't dare let him see how this is affecting you._

"Ms Campbell... Welcome to Keller." She was the woman. He had wanted to find her from the second they parted the morning at the hotel but not like this. There was no worse way it could have turned out. _She didn't expect this either, it is not a sick joke. Her smile makes everything about her shine outwardly. Don't even go there._

She couldn't stop talking when she realised it was him. Not one to be nervous this appeared from nowhere for Serena and caught her unexpectedly. Explaining herself for clearing patients was never in her usual practices yet it spilled from her lips involuntarily.

"A Ric Griffin masterclass, that's the best offer I've had all year." He could hear the flirtation in her voice and he couldn't decide if he welcomed it or not; her methods were everything he was against but she brought out long-absent stirrings of desire in him.

For the duration of the patient saga that was 'Mushroom-Gate' she found the exact buttons in him to wind him up, and took great pleasure in doing so. It was just that for hours before she took him to the theatre space where her 3-D stack had been stored. They were truly by themselves for the first time all day and it was over an object the hospital would use rarely.

"I do love my gadgets." Serena found it natural to say comments such as this but she momentarily forgot who she was with when it left her mouth. Although they had gone the whole way, she was a little uncomfortable with him thinking about her with any sort of other gadget so she carried on talking. Ignoring the little part of her who could see his grumpy expression and thinking how adorable it was, she spoke lovingly of the beautiful piece of technology opposite them.

"... Maybe I'll let you take her for a spin." Even in his irritated state the tone she employed made Ric want to do nothing other than press her against the wall and kiss her.

A few hours following the disastrous resolution of their case she was settling into the office she now seemed to share with a man who had seen her in the most personal of ways. When he entered they were alone with little chance of being interrupted so could put all their cards on the table and confront what was clouding the air between them.

"So do you think this could this be the start of a beautiful friendship?"

She was the last thing Keller needed; that he needed.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." For him, that was enough of a line drawn on the matter - they would disagree, she wouldn't be the first or the last to do so with him.

After a short period of covert looks across the room to the other Serena instead broke the silence, "Of all the coincidences in my life, this may be up there with the best." She was trying to make the day have a light-hearted twist, to ignore that this was in fact the big deal her head was telling her it had been.

"You did not say you were a doctor." That was the problem he had with her. Under the assumption she was a business consultant he had found himself opening up to a stranger and although his opposite there had been a connection.

Logging into the computer on her new desk, she raised an eyebrow, "I was at a medical conference, it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

The serious attitude she had wished to convey disappeared as quickly as many of the other changes to her life had in recent months. He was clearly not impressed with her, yet she was becoming more amused by the situation at hand.

"I will pay for half the room." As soon as the words left his mouth he knew it had came out wrong.

Looking up sharply, a couple of strands of dark hair fell across her face as she glared across the small room.

"I am not some cheap prostitute! We were drunk and had sex, I don't recall you having complaints." It was the first time he had witnessed her somewhat angry and didn't know how to react. Serena knew he had not expected her to get so defensive but it was always a little hilarious to see people consider what they thought she would want to hear.

"That is not what I am am saying!" Thinking on the stop was not always a strong point of his in conversation as opposed to facing almost the unknown in theatre.

"What? Do you want a repeat performance," She asked with a wink, "because unfortunately I am not sleeping with a colleague in my first week."

He could not work with her. It was not because they had slept together - hell, he had got used to working with past flings and wives - but her attitude was unbelievable. How she could be put with real patients was beyond his comprehension as seemed to simply want them out of the ward to make her life simpler. Her disregard for subtlety was an additional black mark in his fast growing mental list of things that should make her less attractive.

All the things she had said before they kissed that night came back to him; all the nonsense about performance management and business strategies. He had put up with it because it had been a nice evening and he had found it interesting to see the thought process of somebody in that line of work. It was completely ridiculous for her to try and implement her ideas in Holby.


End file.
